Perhaps it was the amount of alcohol she'd consumed, or maybe she was just immune to the kind of emotions one should feel when the windows and doors explode, and you are faced with an escaped convict. Either way Hermione did not react the way those around them did when Lucius stepped into the room. She drew her wand on instinct, but worry did not cross her mind and she did not feel the adrenaline spike she'd so often felt when faced with danger in the past. Instead she felt humour of all things and let out an unintended snort that quickly turned into a giggle before growing into an all-out laugh, tears escaping her eyes as she looked upon her fair-haired boyfriend's father.
"Find something amusing Mudblood," the bedraggled man asked. He was unkept, his hair long and straggly, he had thick stubble across his face and his eyes were hollow. Lucius was caked in dirt and seemed to be favouring one leg over the other as he pointed his wand at his own son.
"Don't call her that," Draco hissed, Lucius sneered at him.
"Call me what you will, it's pathetic that you've come here alone, what exactly is your plan Mr Malfoy," she asked him curiously, tilting her head to the side she examined him curiously.
"Who said I was alone," Lucius hissed, for the first time Hermione felt her adrenaline spike, goosebumps settled over her skin and a shiver ran up her spine, surely, he was fibbing, only he was stupid enough to escape prison and come to a house full of survivors of the final battle, a house filled with war hardened teenaged soldiers. Even drunk she was fairly certain that they'd be able to subdue him without any of them getting injured.
"Your lying," she declared, not even a second later a scream rent the air, but it was not from the room they were currently in, instead it came from the floor above where more than one party goers had crashed for the night.
"Was I," he drawled, with a lazy flick of his wand, purple flames whipped across the room, not towards his son but towards her instead. They didn't get anywhere close to touching her, as multiple protective charms were cast around her, the flames dissipating into the air as though they were water.
"Stupefy," Fred called, the red stunning spell shot out of his wand hitting Lucius square in the chest. Draco's father fell forward crashing onto the carpeted floor.
"God he was annoying wasn't he," George commented before conjuring ropes to tie the escaped prisoner up, as he was doing this another scream sounded from up the stairs.
"We'd best check it out," Hermione found herself commenting worriedly as she pushed herself to her feet. She couldn't help wincing as she did so, at some point during the evening she'd taken off her shoes and as she'd stood up, she'd accidentally stood on one of the many shards of glass that now blanketed the carpet. With a frustrated wave of her wand she vanished the remaining pieces of glass before casting a quick healing charm upon herself and followed Draco who was the first one to the door.
"It doesn't make sense for us all to go, Pansy and Theo guard my father, Ginny send a patronus to the Auror department," Draco ordered, his voice authoritative, it sent a shiver down Hermione's spine. The Slytherins nodded but Ginny grimaced.
"I can't," she told them, her head dropping, she refused to meet any of their eyes and her lower lip began to quiver.
"What do you mean, you can't cast a Patronus," Hermione asked, Ginny had mastered the patronus charm before she herself had before anyone in the DA had with the exception of Harry. When Harry had taught it to them Ginny had been the first one to produce a corporal patronus, her majestic horse galloping around the Room of Requirement.
"Since Harry left, I haven't been able to do the charm," the redheaded witch spoke, her lower lip wobbling.
"I had no idea," Hermione breathed, staring at her friend worriedly.
"How could you Hermione, you weren't the only one who was abandoned," Ginny spoke, the words felt like a slap across her face to Hermione. She hadn't been the only one left behind, Ginny had been Harry's girlfriend, had loved her bespectacled best friend. Harry had abandoned her twice, once to go on the hunt for Horcruxes and then again in the wake of the war.
"I'm sorry," Hermione spoke, Ginny nodded.
"I'll cast the patronus," Neville volunteered.
"Good, everyone else, we'll sweep the house in groups," Draco ordered, grabbing her hand in his he led her out of the room, she loved that his dominant hand was his left while Her's was her right, it meant both of them could hold hands while still holding their wands.
"Be careful," Fred called after them heading with Ginny in the direction of the Kitchen.
"You too love," she called after him as Draco led her up the stairs. Nothing seemed out of place as they ascended, everything was as it should have been. They headed one way on their landing while George and Angelina went the other way. Before opening each door, they cast detecting charms. Their townhouse was large, and it took time searching each room. Most of the rooms were empty while some had sleeping partygoers within them.
It wasn't until they reached the third floor that they came across anything unusual, a repetitive thumping filled the otherwise silence of the hallway. Thump, Thump, Thump, over and over again. This sound was followed by a distinct scream like that they had heard before, Hermione shivered in fear at the sound. As they walked down the hallway the sound got louder, then another scream, the same scream from before sounded again.
"Homenum Revelio," Draco breathed, the spell detecting four presences in the room beyond.
"Stay behind me," he told her before blasting the door open, this caused the inhabitants in the room to scream. It was no escaped prisoners however, instead it was Susan Bones suspended in conjured ropes, the Hufflepuff was delirious with pleasure, her eyes unfocused as she let out another scream. Two cocks were buried within her belonging to Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Passed out on the bed beside them was Hannah Abbott who had clearly already been fucked, thick ropes of cum dribbled out of her exposed cunt and Hermione could see it glistening across her tits.
"What the Fuck," Dean asked, his eyes fixed on them as he withdrew his long dark shaft. Hermione's eyes followed the movement quite involuntary, his dick was long and hard but lacking the girth she was accustomed too from both of her partners. She felt her knickers dampen as he thrust back into the other witch, Seamus pulling out of her arse as he did so.
"We thought you were Death Eaters," she told them, rising her eyes to look at their faces rather than their genitals.
"What," Seamus grunted pausing his thrusts, he turned his head towards them, giving them his full attention. Susan it seemed wasn't so far gone at all, at Hermione's words she opened her eyes, the glassy pleasure dulling into deep awareness.
"Draco's father broke out of Azkaban and attacked the party downstairs, he said he brought others with him," she told them, watching as the men removed their cocks from Susan. Seamus waved his wand vanishing the ropes, lowering the witch onto the mattress, while Dean gently shook Hannah awake and summoned her discarded dress from the other side of the bedroom. It was at that moment that the Aurors arrived, their pops off apparition sounding loudly in the air outside.
"Eight High Security Prisoners escaped that night, but only Lucius came to the house, the others have all fled to avoid recapture," she whispered.
"It must have been rather stressful," Dr Hargreaves commented, Hermione had just finished regaling her with the tale of what had happened at Draco's birthday.
"I suppose," she agreed.
"You don't sound certain Hermione," the doctor commented.
"It was unexpected but almost expected," she told her doctor.
"What do you mean by that," she asked her, Hermione paused thinking for a moment.
"For years something big happened every year. I've grown accustomed to it really," she mused. "First year there was Quirrellmort, second year I was petrified, third year a mass murderer turned out to be the good guy while a pet rat was in fact the culprit all along," she told the doctor.
"I see," her doctor responded.
"I could continue but I think I've made my point; I'm used to dealing with unexpected ambushes.
"That's how you see it an ambush," the Doctor asked.
"A poorly planned one yes," she nodded.
"You seem pretty calm about been ambushed," the doctor commented, Hermione shrugged.
"How else should I react," she asked quietly, Dr Hargreaves wrote something in the notebook in front of her and contemplated Hermione for a moment.
"All responses are valid," she told her patiently.
"But" Hermione prompted, the doctor smiled kindly.
"Hermione, I can't tell you how to feel. You have endured so much trauma so far in your life, more than most experience in a lifetime. You aren't going to respond in the same way, someone who hasn't had your experiences would," she spoke patiently, Hermione nodded with a frown.
"Most people would be horrified by Lucius breaking into their home the way he did, but it's like I'm numb to that kind of shock, too much has happened for me to be shocked by attacks, I'm used to them, I've been facing off evil since I was a pre-teen," she commented, "I only felt fear when I thought someone was getting attacked but they weren't it was someone having an orgasm upstairs," she told the doctor.
"My worry Hermione is that you are supressing the trauma you've experienced over the years," Dr Hargreaves commented.
"I'm not, I've delt with it," she responded on instinct, feeling defensive.
"Have you," the doctor asked quietly, once more she was writing in her notebook, and Hermione whished she could see what she thought of her.
"I had too," Hermione continued.
"Why," the doctor asked.
"I had to deal with the trauma so I could focus on school, on supporting Harry and Ron, so I could help end the war," she spoke.
"Who helped you, who was your support," the doctor asked.
"I just got on with it, the boys they needed me too and they were too immature to help wade through my feelings, I once compared Ron's emotional capacity to that of a teaspoon," she chuckled, tears welling in her eyes, silently the doctor handed her a box of tissues, "I'm not broken," she told the doctor, dabbing at her eyes.
"No you aren't, but even the most secure people with the best lives need support at times," the doctor commented.
"Harry and Ron were good in some ways," she commented sadly, "I just never let on how much I needed support too, I focused so much on helping and caring for them that at times I felt like their mother or carer", she spoke, dabbing at her eyes once more with her tissue.
"That wasn't healthy," the doctor commented.
"No it wasn't, one of my favourite memories was during the worst of it, we were on the run, Ron had abandoned us, and I was heartbroken, miserable, and starving. We had a wireless and a song came on, Harry grabbed my hand and pulled me into his arms, for a moment we were just two friends, laughing and dancing without a care in the world, nobody relying on us to save everyone," she spoke quietly.
"Some levity," Dr Hargreaves commented.
"Harry knew what we both needed in that moment, he made me feel better. Ron was usually the one who would inject humour or fun into the bad days, Harry could be moody because he knew he had the world depending on him," she rambled.
"You still miss them" Dr Hargreaves observed, Hermione nodded.
"Everyday, I still hate them for leaving but they are my best friends, without them I wouldn't be who I am today. They are like annoying brothers, I just wish they'd let us know they were safe," she commented. "There are seven High Security Prisoners free who undoubtedly want them dead, I don't even know if they are aware of the escape or know they need to be vigilant. I don't want them to be in danger," she breathed.
"That's understandable, I know you've tried to find them without success so hopefully wherever they are they will be untraceable to these escapees," the doctor commented.
"Oh I hope so, logically I know that it's unlikely they will be tracked but I still worry, I've always worried about them," she spoke quietly.
"How's your current support network," the doctor asked.
"Draco's still reeling from his father's escape, attack, and recapture. He hates that his past came calling, that his father called me a Mudblood, he hates the word," she told her, as she traced the raised lettering of the word that permanently scarred her left forearm.
"That's understandable," the doctor nodded.
"He regrets that he just stood there while Bellatrix tortured me, that he didn't stop her. He keeps having nightmares. I try to comfort him and reassure him. Logically he knows there was nothing he could do without getting killed but it plagues his mind," she explained.
"It sounds like you are doing the right thing in supporting him, Draco might need time to work through his feelings, he might benefit from seeing a professional to help him navigate through his experiences," Dr Hargreaves told her.
"Oh no, he wouldn't want too," Hermione shook her head.
"How's Fred," the doctor asked.
"He's a pillar of strength. Nothing spooks him, he offers so much love and support to both Draco and me," she smiled.
"What about your wider support network," Dr Hargraves asked.
"I'm selfish," she blurted the words out, her mind instantly conjuring the image of Ginny and her inability to conjure up a Patronus.
"In what way," the Psychologist asked.
"Harry and Ron didn't only abandon me, they left everyone. I acted like I was the only one left behind, but I wasn't. Ginny is heartbroken, she loves Harry so much and was left. The rest of the Weasleys likewise were left as were all our other friends. For so long I was so focused on how them leaving made me feel, that I didn't focus on those around me who needed support. Everyone was so kind and patient, trying to get me clean and back to normal when they were all dealing with shit themselves," she commented.
"You can't change the past Hermione, but you can show your appreciation and offer support to them now," Dr Hargraves commented.
"I know, I am going too," she nodded.
"Is there anything else you want to discuss this session," Dr Hargraves asked, Hermione bit her lip, thinking about the sexual scene her and Draco had walked into while looking for any of Lucius's accomplices.
"I witnessed some friends in the midst of sex," she whispered, her face flushing like that of a virginal schoolgirl, the doctor nodded, not saying anything, and leaving room for Hermione to think on what she wanted to say.
"It turned me on," she continued. "One of my friends was suspended, while two others used her, she looked blissful as they took what they needed from her," she continued.
"Is this something you want to try with your partners," the doctor asked, her voice professional.
"We've tried bondage before and while fun, the thing that turned me on wasn't the fact that my friend was suspended, it was that for a brief moment, I imagined myself in her place, while others watched on," she whispered.
"You want someone to watch you have sex," the doctor asked.
"I think so," Hermione said, her voice coming out as a squeak.
"There are many different kinks and desires Hermione, exhibitionist been one of many. If it is something you are interested in trying, speak to Fred and Draco about it," the doctor told her, as the clock behind her dinged the hour and the end of her session.
"I will do, thank you Dr Hargreaves, I will see you next week," she told her, hurrying to grab her things together, her face she was sure was the colour of a tomato.
"Be safe Hermione," the doctor called after her as she exited her office